Unsung heroes honoured
 Alumni
Five unsung heroes of South Australian agriculture have been honoured by the University of Adelaide for their humanitarian efforts in some of the world's poorest countries. The ROCA Humanitarian Award recipients are all graduates of the former Roseworthy Agricultural College (now Roseworthy Campus), which is celebrating its 125th birthday this month. They are: - The Reverend Brian Polkinghorne from Yorke Peninsula, who has spent the past 25 years working on agricultural, environmental and educational projects in Tanzania;
- Mr David Lewis, whose work with the Christian Blind Mission is helping disadvantaged people in a range of countries including Sierra Leone, Niger and Indonesia;
- Mr Paul Symonds, who has devoted 30 years to delivering humanitarian projects in Sudan, Ghana, the Philippines, Cameroon, Tanzania, East Africa, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and India;
- Mr Richard Turnbull, who has spent the past 30 years working on health projects in Ethiopia, Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya, Sumatra, Ache, East Timor and the Solomon Islands;
- Mr Anthony Petch, who has been involved in humanitarian and innovative malaria project work in East Timor.
A selection panel from the Roseworthy Old Collegians Association (ROCA) took into account the contribution of graduates to such fields as medicine, disease prevention, advancement of international food and agriculture, missionary work, social and cultural contributions and the environment. ROCA President Locky McLaren said the recipients could be regarded as the "unsung heroes of South Australian agriculture", applying their Roseworthy education away from their home patch. "Since its inception in 1883, Roseworthy has equipped many thousands of people with the necessary skills to embark on careers in agriculture, oenology, animal science and natural resources management. "Among the ranks of past graduates are a number of people who have applied the skills acquired in South Australia for the benefit of humanity. These people are self-sacrificing, acting in a modest and selfless way to pass on the benefit of their knowledge to disadvantaged communities in the poorest areas of the world," Mr McLaren said.
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